I have always been a fan of Japanese animation, and I remember watching movies with my older sister as a kid. One director that stuck out to me was Hayao Miyazaki, who has worked on countless animated movies. I wasn’t aware of the more technical and artistic aspects of his films until I watched them again recently. Two of his films, particularly Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle, use a lot of contrast and affinity to emphasize the messages he puts in them.
In Spirited Away, Miyazaki looks at the people’s greed and consumption. One way he does this is through character design. The main character Chihiro is the only human working in the bath house, and looks quite different from the other workers. She is only one who doesn’t succumb to greed when the character No-Face distributes gold to the other workers. No-Face is also the only character in the scene designed in all shades of dark, subdued tones. This is in stark contrast with the bright colors of the rest of the environment.
In Howl’s Moving Castle, the message is the comparison of outer and inner beauty. The main character, Sophia, had a curse put on her where her outer beauty becomes a reflection of her inner self. She then meets the magician Howl and lives in his house. In this clip, Howl’s hair is dyed when Sophia mixes up his potions. He stews in depression, and the scenery changes to reflect his change in emotion, as well as his own physical appearance. Miyazaki’s attention to the character design and to scenery allows him to create an atmosphere that reflects the inner message of the movie.
In Spirited Away, Miyazaki looks at the people’s greed and consumption. One way he does this is through character design. The main character Chihiro is the only human working in the bath house, and looks quite different from the other workers. She is only one who doesn’t succumb to greed when the character No-Face distributes gold to the other workers. No-Face is also the only character in the scene designed in all shades of dark, subdued tones. This is in stark contrast with the bright colors of the rest of the environment.
In Howl’s Moving Castle, the message is the comparison of outer and inner beauty. The main character, Sophia, had a curse put on her where her outer beauty becomes a reflection of her inner self. She then meets the magician Howl and lives in his house. In this clip, Howl’s hair is dyed when Sophia mixes up his potions. He stews in depression, and the scenery changes to reflect his change in emotion, as well as his own physical appearance. Miyazaki’s attention to the character design and to scenery allows him to create an atmosphere that reflects the inner message of the movie.
Christopher Nolan is another artist that inspires me, especially his work as a writer. Two works that interest me in particular are The Prestige and Inception, and Nolan’s use of active and didactic storytelling in each. Both works incorporate active and didactic storytelling, and each do it in a different way.
One of few criticisms made against the summer blockbuster Inception was the role of Emma Page. Page’s purpose seemed at times only to explain the convoluted terms and processes that existed in the fantastical world of dream technology. She also showed the audience the mental anguish Leonardo DiCaprio’s character was going through. However, at the end of the movie, when it appeared that DiCaprio finally got the ending he deserved, the audience was left without any ending of their own. Nolan left the audience with questions regarding what really happened, spawning theories about the true nature of the characters, inciting furious blog and forum discussion, and in my opinion ultimately leading to the success of the movie.
Let’s now look at The Prestige. This movie relies almost entirely on active storytelling. The movie starts in the middle, then goes back to the beginning, and finishes in a fantastic twist. No one knows exactly what is happening until the end when Nolan delivers a final twist that no one sees coming. Then all is revealed and Nolan shows the audience what is really happening. Nolan’s use of active storytelling at one point then didactic revealing at another is what makes his films truly amazing.
One of few criticisms made against the summer blockbuster Inception was the role of Emma Page. Page’s purpose seemed at times only to explain the convoluted terms and processes that existed in the fantastical world of dream technology. She also showed the audience the mental anguish Leonardo DiCaprio’s character was going through. However, at the end of the movie, when it appeared that DiCaprio finally got the ending he deserved, the audience was left without any ending of their own. Nolan left the audience with questions regarding what really happened, spawning theories about the true nature of the characters, inciting furious blog and forum discussion, and in my opinion ultimately leading to the success of the movie.
Let’s now look at The Prestige. This movie relies almost entirely on active storytelling. The movie starts in the middle, then goes back to the beginning, and finishes in a fantastic twist. No one knows exactly what is happening until the end when Nolan delivers a final twist that no one sees coming. Then all is revealed and Nolan shows the audience what is really happening. Nolan’s use of active storytelling at one point then didactic revealing at another is what makes his films truly amazing.
Beyond film, I am a music fanatic, and performing has been a large part of my life. One band that has impressed me more than any other is The Reign of Kindo. They are incredible musicians, and are incredible lyricists. While I listen to many of their songs simply because I’m impressed by their harmonies and compositions, there is one song in particular that strikes me as an example of tension and release.
When I first heard their song, “Bullets in the Air” off their third album This is What Happens, I didn’t like it at all. I was put off by how at several points throughout the song the guitars and piano lost the jazzy harmonies they usually create and instead slip into nonsensical noisemaking, all conflicting with the bands standard M.O. The third time the band breaks into the conflicting tones, it gets louder and and louder until it subsides into gentle guitar plucking and soft vocal melodies. This sudden shift in mood makes the sudden acoustic nature of the song stick out and really draws you in.
When I first heard their song, “Bullets in the Air” off their third album This is What Happens, I didn’t like it at all. I was put off by how at several points throughout the song the guitars and piano lost the jazzy harmonies they usually create and instead slip into nonsensical noisemaking, all conflicting with the bands standard M.O. The third time the band breaks into the conflicting tones, it gets louder and and louder until it subsides into gentle guitar plucking and soft vocal melodies. This sudden shift in mood makes the sudden acoustic nature of the song stick out and really draws you in.
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